Thought of the week: Glories of Sita devi

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Hare Krishna !!

 

The saintly king

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King Janaka of the Videha dynasty, the ruler of Mithila, is a righteous,

brave and courageous man. He is such an expert in the Vedic scriptures and

the principles of religion (dharma) that he is considered as one of the

twelve Mahajans (people with perfect understanding of the scriptures), a

highly elevated position he shares with great personalities Bhisma,

Narada, Brahma, Siva, Kapila, Bhisma, Prahlada etc.

 

Distressed by the fact that he does not have any children, Janaka resolves

to perform a sacrifice (yajna). In order to prepare the ground for the

sacrifice, King Janaka personally ploughs it with a golden yoke. At this

time, from the ground appears a most beautiful baby girl. Since she came

from the plough, she is named Sita and since she appeared from the ground,

she is considered to be the daughter of Mother Earth (Bhumi devi).

Actually she is Goddess Lakshmi herself who has incarnated to assist her

eternal master, Lord Vishnu in His pastimes as Lord Rama of Ayodhaya.

 

The enchanting princess

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As Sita grows, the fame of her beauty spreads all over the world. Many

powerful princes express their desire marry her, but King Janaka is not

sure. On the advise of the sages, he devises a test to ensure that only

one who is worthy of Sita will marry her. In his family is a bow of Lord

Shiva, that had been gifted to his ancestor by the grateful demigods for

his valor in fighting. This huge bow required more than three hundred men

just to move it.

 

King Janaka announces that any one who could lift the bow and string it

would be eligible to receive Sita as his wife. Drawn by the beauty and

good qualities of Sita, many kings and princes try their luck, but they

are unable to even move the bow, let alone lift it. Then on the

instructions of Sage Vishwamitra, Lord Rama, the prince of Ayodhaya,

comes. He easily picks up the mighty bow and breaks it into two pieces. An

ecstatic Janaka marries Sita to her eternal consort, Lord Rama.

 

The perfect wife

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This particular incarnation of Lord Rama is to demonstrate the ideal

principles of conducting oneself by the rules of the scriptures. Lord Rama

is the ideal husband, the ideal son, the ideal prince, and Sita devi the

ideal wife. She is completely dedicated to the service of her husband, so

much so that when a royal intrigue forces Lord Rama to leave the comforts

of the palace to spend fourteen years in the wild forests, Sita devi

insists on accompanying Him into the forests. Great personalities

demonstrate true understanding of the scriptures in such moments of

conflicting priorities. Even though Sita is instructed by her husband to

remain in Ayodhaya and serve the elders, she resolutely draws on the

scriptures to state that the highest duty of a wife is to be with her

husband. Thus leaving the comforts of the royal palace, Sita enters into

the dense forests with Lord Rama and Lakshmana, the younger brother of

Lord Rama.

 

 

The destruction of Ravana

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The descent of Lord Rama was also to relieve the demigods of the tyranny

of the powerful Ravana, who having secured boons for Lord Brahma had

become invincible to the demigods. Sita devi plays becomes an essential

catalyst in the demise of Ravana.

 

Drawn by the beauty of Sita, Ravana under the disguise of a sage, kidnaps

Sita and take her back to his palace in Lanka. The demigods on witnessing

this deed finally understand the end of Ravana is now certain. As

predicted, Lord Rama with the help of a powerful tribe of monkeys and

bears attacks Lanka and liberates Sita devi after killing Ravana.

 

Instructions by Sita devi

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The pastime of Sita devi in laden with instructions for posterity to

understand and follow. In accompanying Lord Rama to the forest she

demonstrated the duty of a wife to her husband. Later Lord Rama chastises

His brother Lakshmana for leaving Sita alone. When Lakshmana mentions that

he could not bear to hear the unkind words of Sita, Lord Rama instructs th

e words of a distressed person should be very carefully examined before

any action is taken. Ravana was killed because he tried to enjoy Sita devi

illicitly. Lord Rama is none other than Lord Vishnu and Sita devi is

Lakshmi, the goddess of good wealth and good fortune. The plight of Ravana

is a message to the materialists who try and enjoy wealth and material

comforts separately from the Lord who is the ultimate proprietor of all

opulences.

 

When Lord Rama finally liberates Sita, she willingly takes the fire-test

(agni pariksha) to demonstrate to the world her purity and chastity. Just

as Lord Rama remained firm in His duties as a king, Sita devi remained

fixed in her duties as a wife, even when she is banished by Lord Rama

Himself to the forest. Understanding that as the leaders do, the people

follow, Sita devi expected Lord Rama to live by the highest standards.

Later when Lord Rama fears that people will never fully accept Sita devi,

He banishes her to the forests, and Sita devi also accepts this with

equanimity, herself setting the highest standards of sacrifice and

compassion.

 

As the internal potency of the Lord, Sita devi is the energy through which

the Lord manifests His pastimes. She is non-different from the Lord,

having separated only for His pleasure. Her spotless character, her

glorious life and her teachings by example have and will continue to

inspire countless generations.

 

All glories to Sita devi.

 

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Tuesday, May 01, 2001 Appearance Srimati Sita Devi (consort of Lord Sri

Rama)

Appearance Srimati Jahnava Devi

Disappearance Sri Madhu Pandita

18 Thursday, May 03, 2001 Ekadasi Mohini (Break fast 05:07-09:46 USA EST)

 

May 5th-6th (Sat-Sun): Seminar on Srimad Bhagavatam, Philosophy and

Pastimes at ISKCON Potomac (Washington D.C.) by H.H. Romapada Swami. To

register please reply by Email.

 

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